Conventionally, Apache main rotor blades may be manually removed from storage containers and stored in a rack prior to installation of the blades in pre-flight operations. However, lifting of the blades from the storage container may be laborious to personnel and may also risk damage to the blades in the event that the blades are inadvertently dropped. Overhead cranes may be used in some blade-handling operations but these operations may not be amenable to portability and may require more than one person to implement.
Therefore, an ergonomic blade handling apparatus which is suitable to facilitate the safe movement of helicopter main rotor blades into and out of storage containers, racks and carts is needed.